During this period, your baby will take delight in discovering tastes from the exotic world of fruits and vegetables.

What foods can your baby eat?

Introducing small pieces of soft food
 Stage 3 is when you introduce small pieces of food into your baby’s diet. Start with infant cereals before moving on to starchy foods (small chunks of potatoes, pasta, noodles, rice, corn), and then meat and fish.
 To ensure your baby’s safety in her introduction to these new foods, the meat Nestlé uses comes from certified sources. This guarantees the composition and quality of foods and ensures the compliance with veterinary treatments, e.g. antibiotics.

New fruits and vegetables
Over the next few months, your baby is set to discover more exotic tastes of fruits and vegetables*.

 Vegetables: cauliflower, peas, beans, etc.
 Fruits: mango, papaya, tomato, etc

* Unless your baby is allergic to it.

Meat and fish: all you need to know
This is a major event in Stage 3, as introducing meat and fish is an important phase in starting your baby on solids.

Why should you introduce them?
 The proteins in meat and fish are necessary for your baby’s development as they are used to build up her muscles and organs.
 They also help her to get used to new tastes and unfamiliar textures.

How much should you give?
 Very small quantities are enough at this stage – start from 15g to 30g per day (about 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls).

A few tips:
 For meat, choose lean varieties such as chicken, pork, beef, and veal. Steam the meat, mince it and then mix with vegetable purée.
 For fish, only use very fresh fillets: garoupa, salmon, cod, etc. Cook the fish in rice porridge or steam it.
 Mash the fish with a fork, making sure you remove all bones, then mix the mashed fish with vegetable purée.
 Give your baby meat or fish once a day.

Foods in Stage 3

 Rice and alternatives: rice, cereals, whole grain cereals, small varieties of cooked pasta or noodles, etc.
 Vegetables: cauliflower, carrot, leafy vegetables, etc.
 fruits: mango, apple, tomato, etc.
 Meat: chicken, pork, beef, lamb, or veal.
 Fish: garoupa, cod, salmon, mackarel, etc.

Breakfast: the most important meal of the day

The first meal after a night’s sleep, breakfast is an essential meal for your baby. After eating nothing for so many hours, she needs nutrients to kick-start her day. And she is never too young to start the good habit of eating an energy-packed and balanced breakfast.

For an energy boost: infant cereals in a variety of flavours
To help your little explorer stay active all day long, she needs carbohydrates as a source of energy, which you can give in the form of infant cereals.

Snack time: the third proper meal of the day

Like breakfast, snacks are an essential component of your baby’s balanced diet. After her afternoon nap, your baby will be rested and relaxed - a perfect moment for a treat!

What goes into a well-balanced snack?
 Cereals. 3 or 4 tablespoons of infant cereal or 2 small rusks to tide your child’s hunger over until dinner.
 Fruits. In the form of purées or fruit-based drinks, fruits are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. They offer your baby a wide range of tastes and textures and help develop her taste buds.

Dinner: to end the day well

Come evening, she needs a meal to replenish her energy.  To meet the recommended daily intake of nutrients, your baby’s dinner must take into account the foods already eaten at other times during the day.

The secrets of a good dinner
If your baby has already eaten meat or fish (sources of protein) earlier, give her a vegetable soup. It is a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

 Consider giving your baby a high proportion of complex carbohydrates - pasta, noodles, rice or potato. These will gradually release energy to satisfy your baby’s appetite and help her to sleep.
 Depending on how hungry your baby is, finish off her meal with a fruit purée.

Don't forget her night routine!
A complete and balanced meal is essential to help your baby develop properly and enjoy a good night’s sleep. But this is not enough. Every baby needs a routine to help her wind down. Read a story, put on some music or sing a lullaby, turn on a soft light and give your baby her favourite blanket. Do this every night as these little habits will reassure your baby and help her fall asleep.